Dental products

ABSTRACT

A disposable hygienic dental product consisting of a cup to which can be detachably secured a sterile packed tooth brush provided on the head of the brush with a quantity of dentifrice. The arrangement of the cup and tooth brush is such that they can be stacked for sale by means of automatic vending machines.

United States Patent 1191 Taddei 5] Apr. 29, 1975 1 DENTAL PRODUCTS 2370.796 3/1945 Kaye 132/84 R ux Z. 6. 9 9 ..21510 [76] Invent: Tadde" 28 Bd Georges 2.229 359 206/47 11 clemenceauArles France 2,803,375 8/1957 Meshberg 220/97 (3 x 2.858.041 /1958 Robinson 220/97 C X [221 May 1972 2917.057 12 1959 Busseuil 15/187 x [21] AppL No.1 248,134 3035.691 5/1962 Rasmussen ct a1... 206/78 B X 3,186,850 6/1965 Anthony 206/47 B X 3,381,849 5/1968 Karlson 220/97 C Foreign Applicat on Priority Data Feb. 15 1972 France 72.05818 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 6.601.548 8/1967 Netherlands 15/104.94

[52] US. Cl. 206/217; 15/104.94; 15/187;

132/84 R; 206/519; 215/101 Primary E.\'aminer-Leonard Summer [51] Int. Cl. B65d 79/00; Ad 44/00 A r y, g n r irm lr ing M- in r [58] Field of Search 215/101; 220/97 C;

206/47 R. 47 B, 15.1 E, 217 132/84 R;. 57 ABSTRACT A d1sposab1e hygiemc dental product cons1st1ng of a cup to which can be detachably secured a sterile [56] References packed tooth brush provided on the head of the brush UNITED STATES PATENTS with a quantity of dentifrice. The arrangement of the 1,602 531 10/1926 ltoh 206/47 R cup and t oth brush is such that they can be stacked 2,088,181 7/1937 Sw1ft Jr. 206/ K UX f Sale by means of automatic Vending machines. 212L373 6/1938 Turmer 206/47 R UX 2.177 455 10/1939 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Hackert 132/84 R PNENTEU APR 2 91975 SHEET 2 OF 2 DENTAL PRODUCTS This invention relates to a hygienic dental product especially one which can be sold from automatic dispensing machines and which is disposable after use.

Although public washing facilities are provided in restaurants, factory or office canteens. stations and airports. no facilities for brushing one's teeth after a meal. which is a recommended procedure. are provided at these locations.

An object of the present invention is to fulfill this requirement by providing a hygienic dental product which is inexpensive. hygienically packaged and which can be disposed of after use.

According to the present invention there is provided a hygienic dental product comprising a tooth brush. a quantity of dentifrice on the brush. and a cup. the brush being detachably secured to the cup.

The dentifrice may be in the form of paste. powder. tablets or granules.

The tooth brush is preferably unitary including the bristles. and made of a plastics material, the toothpaste being disposed between two parallel rows of bristles on the head of the tooth brush. The cup at its upper edge. is preferably provided with two peripheral lips. separated by a gap. the gap between the lips receiving a means for fixing the tooth brush to the cup.

The tooth brush carrying the toothpaste is preferably packaged within a cover. made ofplastics material. and having the shape of the toothbrush profile. and a plate. the cover and the plate being made integral and the back of the plate carrying detachable means for fixing the toothbrush to the cup.

The detachable means for fixing the toothbrush to the cup may be constituted by an open flexible ring capable of at least partially surrounding the cup between the two lips so as to position the toothbrush against the cup.

The cup. below its two peripheral lips. has a frustoconical profile. the smallest cross-section of which constitutes the base of the cup. with the result that several cups. each provided with a toothbrush furnished with a quantity of toothpaste may be stacked one on top of and within the other.

The overall dimensions of the hygienic dental product make it possible to store it in a pile in an automatic machine of known type. recesses being provided in the wall at the bottom of the cup to allow it to be gripped by the delivery jaws of such a machine.

The cup is preferably made of plastics material.

The cup may alternatively be made of waxed cardboard.

It is preferred that the hygienic dental product be used only once and be disposed of after use.

The detachable means for fixing the toothbrush to the cup may comprise a ring integral with the upper part of the cup and having a lateral extension for receiving the handle of the brush.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described. by way of example. with reference to the accompanying drawings. in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a hygienic dental product according to the invention. ready for use;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the product toothbrush;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the toothbrush showing the position of the toothpaste;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the toothbrush and its packaging. as well as the fixing means carried by the lower plate;

FIG. 5 is a front view showing four dental products stacked one inside the other for storing in an automatic dispensing machine; and.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a modified hygienic dental product.

FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings show a cup 1 of frustoconical form. the smallest cross-section of which constitutes its base. the cup having at its top two verticallyspaced lips 2 and 3. At the bottom of the cup I. recesses 4 are provided in its wall to allow it to be gripped by a distributor device of known type (not shown) of an automatic dispensing machine.

A toothbrush 5 comprising a handle 6. a head 7 and bristles 8 is made in a single piece of plastics material. Its bristles 8 are disposed in parallel rows on its head 7 leaving a free centre space in which a quantity of toothpaste 9 is disposed.

This assembly of toothbrush 5 and toothpaste 9 is packaged or enclosed. in known manner. between a cover 10 of transparent plastics material. roughly assuming the shape of the toothbrush profile. and a plate 11. for example made of cardboard. the cover 10 and plate 11 being made integral once the toothbrush 5 is in position therebetween. An open flexible ring 12 of resilient material is integral with the bottom or back face of the plate 11. The dimensions of this ring 12 are such that it is capable of at least partially surrounding the cup 1 between the lips 2 and 3 in order to position the packaged toothbrush vertically against the cup 1. Due to the truncated cone-shaped profile of the cup. below the lips 2 and 3. there is a free space between the handle 6 of the brush and the base of the cup. which permits this cup to be stacked within another similar one. Moreover. the positioning of the ring 12 on the plate 11 is so determined that once the brush 5 is fixed on the cup 1. the end of the handle 6 of the brush is at the same level as the base of the cup 1.

The cup 1 may be made of plastics material or watertight waxed cardboard. The ring 12 may be of supple plastics material. while the plate 11 may also be of plastics material instead of cardboard.

The usage of the dental products is as follows:

the cups 1. each provided with their brush 5 fixed in place by the ring 12 are stored. stacked one inside the other. in an automatic machine (not shown). each cup being orientated in such a manner that the brushes are angularly spaced (FIG. 5);

the user inserts a coin in the machine which causes the lower hygienic dental product to descend to permit its removal by the distributor device of the machine engaging the recesses 4 in the base of the cup;

this user then has only to remove the ring 12 from the cup 1 and to take the toothbrush 5 from its packaging 10. 11 and to brush his teeth after obtaining a little water.

The modification of FIGS. 6 and 7 consists of making the cup 1 in a single piece with an upper ring 13 which extends laterally outwards. The handle 6 of the toothbrush 5 may thus be slid into this lateral extension of the ring 13 (FIG. 6) in order to obtain the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 7. The brush 5 and its dentifrice has been previously covered with a plastics packing film 14 in which it is kept in sterile conditions. The advantages of the hygienic dental product according to the invention are as follows:

it is inexpensive to produce and may be sold at a low price;

placed in an automatic machine in toilets in restaurants. or in factory or office canteens. it permits one to brush ones teeth after a meal with the minimum of inconvenience; put up for sale in stations it permits the absent-minded traveller who has forgotten his toothbrush not to neglect elementary dental hygiene;

it is hygienic due to the fluid-tight packaging. the quantity of toothpaste of being protected from dust or impurities. this package also being able to be sterilized:

it is compact and may be thrown away after being used.

Naturally. the dentifrice product may be in any known form. It may be a paste. a powder. a tablet or granules.

What is claimed is:

l. A disposable and dispensable dental kit. comprising:

a. a cup.

b. a pair of spaced apart peripheral bosses formed on the cup near the top thereof. the space between the bosses defining a gap.

0. at least two opposed recesses formed in the side wall at the bottom of the cup. the recesses being adapted to be gripped by the jaws of a distributor of an automatic dispensing machine.

d. a toothbrush assembly including a plurality of rows of bristles.

e. a quantity of dentifrice disposed on the bristles.

f. an enclosure substantially conforming to the shape of and enclosing the toothbrush assembly. the enclosure including a cover and a plate. and

g. a ring formed with the plate. the ring being dimensioned such that it at least partially surrounds the cup. the ring being inserted into the gap to render the assembly detachably secured to the cup.

2. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1 wherein the cover is made of a plastic material and is integrally made with the plate.

3. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 2 in which the ring is disposed on the back of the plate.

4. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1, in which the bosses are parallel to each other.

5. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 4. in which the ring has a width which is equal to that of the gap between the two peripheral bosses on the cup.

6. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1. in which the recesses are evenly spaced.

7. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1. in which the toothbrush and the bristles thereof are formed from a single piece of plastic material.

8. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1. in which the cup is formed of a plastic material.

9. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1. in which the cup is formed of waxed cardboard.

10. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1, in which the dentifrice is a paste. 

1. A disposable and dispensable dental kit, comprising: a. a cup, b. a pair of spaced apart peripheral bosses formed on the cup near the top thereof, the space between the bosses defining a gap, c. at least two opposed recesses formed in the side wall at the bottom of the cup, the recesses being adapted to be gripped by the jaws of a distributor of an automatic dispensing machine, d. a toothbrush assembly including a plurality of rows of bristles, e. a quantity of dentifrice disposed on the bristles, f. an enclosure substantially conforming to the shape of and enclosing the toothbrush assembly, the enclosure including a cover and a plate, and g. a ring formed with the plate, the ring being dimensioned such that it at least partially surrounds the cup, the ring being inserted into the gap to render the assembly detachably secured to the cup.
 2. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1 wherein the cover is made of a plastic material and is integrally made with the plate.
 3. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 2 in which the ring is disposed on the back of the plate.
 4. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1, in which the bosses are parallel to each other.
 5. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 4, in which the ring has a width which is equal to that of the gap between the two peripheral bosses on the cup.
 6. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1, in which the recesses are evenly spaced.
 7. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1, in which the toothbrush and the bristles thereof are formed from a single piece of plastic material.
 8. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1, in which the cup is formed of a plastic material.
 9. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1, in which the cup is formed of waxed cardboard.
 10. A hygienic dental kit according to claim 1, in which the dentifrice is a paste. 